Evanescent Dreams

19. That sophomore

Before Chen Siyun dropped her flask, Lin Xingren was on another table doing the lab experiment with Ye Zhen. 

Hmph. Chen Siyun chose Zhao Zihai over me. It's not a big deal, but still, why Zhao Zihai? Out of everybody. Has to be Liu Gujing's best friend. Liu Gujing...

She accidentally poured too much solution. 

"What are you thinking about?" Ye Zhen stopped her hand from pouring more. 

Lin Xingren could not open her mouth. Others didn't know Ye Zhen was close with her, so it was already odd enough to be working with him in the lab. Plus, there were other puppet students at the table, and saying anything to him privately just didn't sound right. 

As she glanced a few times at him when he was doing the measurements, she recalled the conversations she had with him last night in the playground.

Ye Zhen was curious if Sunflower Fruit knew anything more about Snow Pharmaceuticals, so she spilled out that Snow Pharmaceuticals was her greatest competitor in little Red, as they both educated readers on biology(which she thought was quite strange as Snow Pharmaceuticals was an official account for a pharmaceutical company). Because Sunflower Fruit had self-confidence, she also boldly claimed that she thought her posts were way more entertaining and eye-catching. Nevertheless, she had never contacted Snow Pharmaceuticals, so was unsure of anything related to the actual person or group behind the account. 

They talked about a variety of other subjects, and Sunflower Fruit had in a rush of excitement told Ye Zhen of her passion in biology, mystery kdramas, and the Hercule Poirot series. She stopped, though, when she realized she was not acting like Sunflower Fruit, but the little girl. 

Cringe. 

It was all awfully cringe, as she hadn't talked so much to someone about herself for so long. It was also awfully depressing, as she could not make herself take the same step to get to know Ye Zhen better.

The only thing she did ask that night was why Ye Zhen liked the playground so much. 

"There's no one home that deserves me to stay and wait for," her replied. 

Back in the lab, Lin Xingren's mind drifted back to the classroom as a classmate's voice from a few tables away echoed into her ears.

"I just knew that the sophomore...also died from the pills of the same pharmacy...."

Chen Siyun's flask shattered on the floor. Weng Bai carried her out of the classroom, and people rumored and clumped around the broken glassware as the teacher came to clean it up. 

Amidst the chaos, Ye Zhen and Lin Xingren  came up to the classmates who had mentioned the sophomore who had passed away. 

"Can you tell us more about the sophomore you were talking about?"

The girl was startled by Ye Zhen sudden inquiry.

"Ah, we weren't really talking about much, lol. " she fidgeted her hair. 

Seeing him not move away, she finally gave in. 

"You weren't here when it happened, but a few months ago, there was this sophomore who suicided at home. Sleeping pill overdose."

"And it was the same pharmacy?" Ye Zhen questioned. 

"Yeah.." the girl made a face that showed uneasiness. 

"I-I really don't know anything more," she explained, "they're all just rumors, you see."

"Does he..." Lin Xingren blurted and exchanged a glance with Ye Zhen, "do you remember him having a girlfriend at that time? Or a crush, love interest, something like that?"